Disengageable latch means for dual string packers



Jan. 18, 1966 H. E. SIMPSON ETAL 3,229,997

DISENGAGEABLE LATCH MEANS FOR DUAL STRING PACKERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 5, 1962 INVENTORS Harry E. Simpson Morgan L. Crow 7 BY M i 5ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1966 H. E. SIMPSON ETAL 3,229,997

DISENGAG'EABLE LATCH MEANS FOR DUAL STRING PACKERS Filed July 5, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 62V 63 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,229,997DISENGAGEABLE LATCH MEANS FOR DUAL STRING PACKERS Harry E. Simpson andMorgan L. Crow, Dallas, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, toDresser Industries, Inc., Dallas County, Tex., a corporation of DelawareFiled July 5, 1962, Ser. No. 207,688 12 Claims. (Cl. 285137) Thisinvention is concerned with improvements in well packers, and isparticularly concerned with disengageable latch means for latching aninsertable member in the body of a dual packer or other supporting bodytherefor, either to prevent telescoping movement of the body withrelation to the tubular mandrel extending through the packer, to preventpremature setting of the packer while it is being run, or to support thebody and equipment suspended therebelow while the packer is beingrun.

One form of dual string well packer is customarily run into the well ona primary string of tubing, and after reaching the position in the Wellwhere it is to be set, a secondary string is run into the well andlatched in the other passage through the packer, and downward force isexerted on the secondary string to disengage the packer body from themandrel attached to the primary string, either by shear pins oractuating other disengageable attachment means, to allow the packer bodyto move downwardly over the mandrel to expand the packer sleeve intosealing engagement with the casing wall and anchor the packer thereto.

Another form of dual string packer is set by moving the body of thepacker and the mandrels downwardly with reference to a slip joint toexpand the slips and the packer sleeve.

It has been found from experience in the use of the first indicatedpacker that the body of the packer often becomes accidentally disengagedfrom the mandrel attached to the primary string while running the packerinto the well by reason of shearing the shear screws attaching samethereto, or disengaging the disengageable attachment member, by reasonof striking obstructions in the well bore or exerting force thereupon topull up after lowering into a tight place in the well bore. Suchaccidental disengagement of the packer body from the primary mandrelallows the packer body to telescope with relation to the primarymandrel, prematurely anchoring the packer against the casing,necessitating shear out procedure, or other expensive operations todislodge and remove the packer, or at least requires the retrieval ofthe prematurely actuated packer and the running or" another packer.

This invention is intended to provide a disengageable latch means topositively support the packer body against downward telescoping movementwith relation to the primary mandrel while the packer is being run,which disengageable latch member is disengaged only by the running ofthe stinger or attachment member of the secondary string into thesecondary passage through the packer.

In the use of the improvement comprehended by the invention in therunning of packers of the second indicated type, a disengageable latchmeans is associated with each passage through the supporting body forthe packer, wherein a latch member is engaged with the tubular supportmember extending into one of the passages while there is no tubularsupport member in the other passage, and wherein upon the disposition ofboth tubular support members in both passages of the body, both of thelatch members are unlatched from engagement with the tubular supportmembers. However, upon removal of either of the tubular support membersfrom a passage through the body, the latch associated with the otherpassage, will engage the tubular support member in said other passage.There- 3,229,997 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 ice fore, the body and equipmentsuspended therebelow may be supported on either string of tubing bydisengageable latch means, and either string may be removed from thepacker to allow suspension of the packer on the other string so that thepacker may be run on one string and retrieved on the other string.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to providedisengageable latch means which will support a dual packer body withrelation to the mandrel therethrough while the packer is being run intothe Well to prevent premature setting of the packer.

Another object of the invention is to provide such disengageable latchmeans which may be actuated and disengaged from the primary mandrelthrough the packer only by inserting the stinger attached to the lowerend of the secondary string.

A still further object of the invention is to provide disengageablelatch means to latch the stingers attached to both strings of tubing inboth passages through a packer support body, which are only latched to astinger in a passage while there is no stinger in the other passage,whereby the packer body is supported while being lowered on one stringof tubing, but wherein the latch is disengaged from the running instring by the running of the second string to permit either string to bewithdrawn after the packer is set.

A still further object of the invention is to provide disengageablelatch means associated with each tubular attachment member insertableinto passages of the dual packer which latch members are released forengagement with one of the tubular attachment members upon the removalof the other tubular attachment member from the passage, so that thepacker may be run upon either string and retrieved upon either string.

Suitable embodiments of the invention are shown in the attacheddrawings, wherein:

FIGURE I is a cross-sectional, elevational view of a dual string packermandrel extending into one of the passages through the body of thepacker, and showing the disengageable stinger attached to the secondarystring extending into the other passage through the dual packer body;

FIGURE II is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of FIGURE I,showing the disengageable latch member moved out of engagement with thestop ring carried by the primary mandrel by engagement therewith by thestinger attached to the secondary string, inserted into the secondarypassage of the packer body;

FIGURE III is a sectional view similar to FIGURE II, showing the springurged latch member in engagement with the upper surface of the stop ringattached to the primary mandrel, as it would appear while the packer isbeing run in the well on the primary string, and before the stingerattached to the secondary string is inserted into the secondary passageto move the latch member out of engagement with the stop ring;

FIGURE IV is a cross-sectional, elevational view of a modified formwherein disengageable stingers are attached to both strings of tubingand are inserted into passages through the body below which is supporteda dual packer, with coinciding annular grooves about the stingersengageable with disengageable latch members attached to the body toallow support of the body against movement in either direction and whichpermits disengageable suspension of the packer body, and elementssuspended therebelow, on either string;

FIGURE V is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIGURE IVshowing one of the latch members disengageably attached to a stingerextending into one of the passages of the packer support body;

FIGURE VI is a side elevational View showing the mounting of a typicaldisengageable latch member with relation to the body, scoop, or othersupport member to which it is attached; and

FIGURE VII is a perspective view of a typical latch which may beemployed with both forms of the invention shown herein.

Numeral references are employed to designate the various parts shown inthe drawings, and like numerals indicate like parts throughout thevarious views of the drawings.

Referring first to the form shown in FIGURES IIII, the numeral 1indicates a generally cylindrical packer body having a primarycylindrical passage 2 and a secondary cylindrical passage 3therethrough.

The body 1 includes an entry scoop 4 having a primary passage 4a and asecondary passage 4b therethrough. The entry scoop 4 has tapered entrysurfaces in the respective passages 4a and 4b at the upper end thereof,to guide the stinger, hereinafter described, into the secondary passage4b, for attachment therein.

A primary tubular mandrel 5 extends through the primary passage 2 of thepacker body 1 and is attached to the packer body by disengageableattachment means, such as shear screws, or expandable and retractablering (not shown), so that by exerting downward force on the body 1 thebody may be disengaged from the mandrel 5 to permit telescoping movementbetween the body 1 and the mandrel 5 to expand slips (not shown) and apacker sleeve (not shown) into engagement with the casing (not shown).

The primary mandrel 5 is attached to the primary tubing string 6 bymeans of a suitable coupling 66, on which the packer is lowered into thecasing from the surface of the earth.

The packer body also includes a stinger receptacle 8 which is a part ofthe secondary passage through the packer, and a secondary mandrel 7 isthreadedly attached to the lower end of the stinger receptacle 8. Thesecondary mandrel 7 extends through the packer to form a part of thesecondary passage therethrough.

A tubular stinger 9 is attached to the lower end of the secondary tubingstring 10. Tubing string 10 is made up of a plurality of pipe sections,such as that indicated at 12, joined together by means of couplings,such as indicated at 11.

The stinger 9 includes a tubular member having an enlarged diameter 13provided with an annular tapered stop shoulder 14 thereon, which isarranged to come into contact with a coinciding shoulder 15 in the bore4b of the scoop 4, to limit the downward movement of the stinger intothe stinger receptacle 8.

The stinger 9 also includes the reduced diameter portion 16 about whichis disposed suitable resilient seal material 17, which may be slidablyand sealingly engaged with the inner surface of the bore of the stingerreceptacle 8.

A stinger collet 18 is threadedly engaged to the lower end of thestinger body, the upper end of which provides a base for the sealingmaterial 17, said sealing material being confined between the upper endof the collet 18 and the shoulder provided by the reduced diameterportion 16 of the stinger body.

The stinger collet 18 includes annularly spaced spring segments 19 whichare formed by longitudinal slits 20 provided through the wall thereof.The collet body 18 is made of spring-like material so that the segments19 may spring inwardly for engagement in the stinger receptacle 8.

A peripheral exterior rib 21 is provided about the spring segments 19 ofcollet 18, and an inwardly extending annular rib 22 is provided in thebore of the stinger receptacle 8.

The stinger 9 may be lowered into the secondary passage 4b through thescoop 4 and into the bore of the stinger receptacle 8. As the rib 21engages the rib 22,

the weight of the secondary tubing string 10, or force exertedthereupon, will cause the spring segments 19 to spring inwardly to allowthe rib 21 to pass over and b low the rib 22, and after passingthereover, the spring segments 19 will relax, to permit the rib 21 tomove outwardly below the rib 22, thereby disengageably locking thestinger 9 in the stinger receptacle 8.

A support ring 23 is secured about the primary mandrel 5 by beinginserted in a groove 24 formed thereabout.

A stop ring 25 is attached to the packer body 1 by being .elampedbetween the lower end of the scoop 4 and the upper end of the bodysection 1.

A pick-up ring 27 is attached about the primary mandrel 5 by beinginserted in an annular groove 26 formed thereabout.

In the event the packer sleeve and anchoring slips will not retract inthe normal manner for removal of the packer assembly from the casing,the mandrel 5 may be detached from the slip housing (not shown) byexerting an upward pull on the primary string 6 suflicient to breakshear screws attaching the mandrel to said slip housing.

This permits the mandrel 5 to be moved upwardly in the primary passage 2untilthe pick-up ring 27 engages the stop ring 25, whereupon the packerbody 1 is suspended on the primary string mandrel 5, and the packer maybe retrieved from the well thereupon.

As shown in FIGURES II and III, the entry scoop 4 of the body 1 isattached to the body by means of cap screws 28 and 29 extendinglongitudinally through the wall of the scoop 4, and are threadedlyengaged in the upper end of the wall of the body 1.

A peripheral slot or window 30 is provided in the wall of the scoop 4,in which is pivotally mounted a latch 31, the detail construction ofwhich is shown in FIGURE VII. The latch 31 is pivotally mounted at oneend by means of a pivot pin 32 extending longitudinally into the wall ofthe scoop 4, or 44, as the case may be. The typical mounting of a latchmember 31 is shown in FIG- URES V and VI, even though such figures showa modified form wherein two such latches are mounted with reference tothe supporting body.

The typical latch which may be employed in both forms of the device isshown in FIGURE VII, and includes a nose or tongue portion 33 having anarcuate inner surface 34 thereon arranged to generally conform to theexterior surface of a tubular member such as 5 inserted in the passage4a or 44a, respectively. As shown in FIGURE VII, the tongue portion 33of the latch memher is thinner than the remaining portion-of the body 42of the latch 31, which has a particular function in relation to themodified form of FIGURES IV-VI, hereinafter described.

The latch member 31 also includes a cam extension 35 which is arrangedto extend into the secondary bore 4b of the scoop 4, with the tongue 33in engagement with the support ring 23 on the primary mandrel 5.

A coil spring 36 has an inner end thereof resting in a bore 37 in theouter face of the latch body 42, and the outer end of such spring isconfined behind the elongated retainer member 38. The spring retainer 38has opposite ends thereof disposed in aligned slots 39 provided in thewall of the scoop 4 or 44, as the case may be, and is secured therein bymeans of suitable screws 40.

The spring 36 normally urges the latch member 31- inwardly.

As shown in FIGURE III, the tongue 33 is disposed above, and inengagement with, the support ring 23 being urged inwardly to suchposition by the spring 36. It will be noted that in such position, thecam extension 35 extends into the secondary bore 4b of the entry scoop4.

This is the position of the latch 31 in relationship to the mandrel 5while the packer suspended to the primary string 6, is being loweredinto the casing. It will thus be seen that the assembly, made up of thescoop 4 and body 1, is suspended to the primary mandrel on the latch 31,so that the body cannot move downwardly with relation to the mandrel,while the packer is being run to prematurely expand the slips and packerinto engagement with the casing. The only manner in which the latch 31can be released is to run a pipe or other cylindrical member into thesecondary passage 4b, to retract the latch.

When the packer reaches the position at which it is to be set, thestinger 9 is lowered into the casing on the secondary string 10 andguided into the passage 4b of entry scoop 4. When the enlarged diameterportion 13 of the stinger 9 comes into contact with the cam extension35, the latch 31 will be pushed outwardly, moving the tongue 33 out ofengagement with the upper surface of the support ring 33. After thestinger has been latched in the stinger receptacle 8 in the mannerhereinbefore described, further downward force upon the primary string10 will cause the packer body 1 'to be disengaged from the mandrel 5 tomove the body downwardly to expand the slips and set the packer.

Thus it will be seen that the packer body is supported againsttelescopic movement with relation to the primary mandrel while thepacker is being lowered into the well, but the latch member 31,supporting same, is automatically disengaged when the stinger on thelower end of the secondary string is lowered into latching engagement inthe secondary passage of the packer body.

Upon removal of the stinger 9 from the secondary passage, after relaxingthe packer for removal from the well, the tongue 33 of latch 31 willmove back into engagement with the upper surface of the support ring 23to prevent the packer body from telescoping with relation to the mandrelwhile the packer is being retrieved from the well. Thus the packer isprevented from prematurely setting while being lowered into the well,and while being retrieved from the well, thus virtually eliminating thepossibility that the packer will become lodged in the well upon runningor retrieval.

In the modified form of FIGURES IV-VI, a scoop body 44 is provided,having primary and secondary passages 44a and 44b, respectivelytherethrough.

Annular upwardly-facing beveled shoulders 45 and 46 are provided in thepassages 44a and 44b, respectively, which are arranged to receive thecorresponding downwardly facing beveled shoulders 52 and 52a on thestinger bodies 47 and 48, respectively, to limit downward movement ofthe stingers into the passages 44a and 44b.

Each of the stingers 47 and 48 are attached to tubing strings 49 and 50,respectively, which are made up and extended from the surface of thewell.

The stingers 47 and 48 have enlarged diameters portions 51 and 51a,respectively, thereon and reduced diameter portions 55 therebelow aboutwhich are disposed suitable resilient packing material 56 to sealagainst the inner surface of the bores of the stinger receptacles 54 and54a, respectively.

Horizontally aligned annular grooves 53 and 53a are provided about-theenlarged diametrical portions 51 and 51a of stingers 47 and 48, for thepurpose hereinafter described.

Collets 57 and 57a are attached to the lower ends of the stingers 47 and48, said collets having spring ribs 58 spaced thereabout formed byspaced slots 59 extending longitudinally thereof.

The collets 57 and 57a have annhlar ribs 60 and 60a thereabout, whichare arranged to be sprung over the internal ribs 61 and 61a inside thepassages through the stinger receptacles 54 and 54a.

Tubular sections 62 and 63 are attached in the passages through thestinger receptacles 54 and 54a, said tubular sections being the mandrelsof a packer suspended therebelow. The packer employed is of the typewherein the mandrels move downwardly with the body inside a slip jointto expand the slips and packer sleeve.

As shown in FIGURE V, two of the latch members 31 are pivotally attachedto the scoop body 44 by means of pivot pins 32. The latch members areoperable in the same manner as hereinbefore described. However, it willbe noted that they are turned in opposite direction so that therespective tongue 33 thereon are extendable into the passages 44a and44b at opposite sides thereof, and the cam extensions 35 are extendableinto the passages 44a and 44b at opposite sides thereof.

The packer may be lowered into the well suspended below the latch body,made up of scoop 44 and stinger receptacles 5454a, suspended to eitherone of the tubing string 49 or 50. As shown in FIGURE V, the packer islowered into the well suspended on tubing string 49. It will be notedthat in such position, as shown in FIGURE V, the tongue 33 of one of thelatch members 31, extends into the annular groove 53, preventing upwardor downward movement of the tubing string with relation to the body 44.The cam extension 35 on the other latch 31 cannot enter the slot 53because it is wider than same. Upon lowering the secondary tubing string50 and latching the stinger 48 in the passage 44b, the enlarged diameter51a thereof contacts the inwardly extending cam extension 35 of thelatch 31 and disengages the tongue 33 from the groove 53, therebyunlatching both tubing strings from the body 44.

The latch may be made of sufiicient strength to support a greater loadbelow the packer while it is being run and pulled than was heretoforethe case wherein a bolt was employed to attach the body to the tubingstring, and has the added advantage of enabling both strings to beunlatched for running the packer or retrieving same on etiher string.

Upon removal of either stinger 47 or 48 from the passage in which it isdisposed, the tongue 33 of the latch associated with such passage willbe caused to move inwardly by relaxation of the spring 36 associatedtherewith, to permit the tongue 33 to enter the groove 53 or 53a, as thecase might be, to latch the body 54 to the stinger for retrieval of thepacker from the well. Therefore, the packer may be run upon one stringand retrieved upon the other by means of the disengageable latch meanhereinbefore described.

It will thus be seen that we have provided disengageable attachmentmeans between the body of a packer or other device having dual passagestherethrough, wherein the body may be prevented from moving downwardlywith relation to the support member on which it is mounted, or asuspending body for a packer latched to other strings against upward ordownward movement with relation thereto in a modification thereof, butin both instances the latch member is latched and unlatched by theplacement within, or removal from, a tubular member in a parallelpassage, with which it is associated.

It will be understood that other and further embodiments of theinvention may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In a device of the class described,

a body having parallel longitudinal passages therethrough with a wallthereabout; a latch; means pivotally attaching the latch to the wall ofthe body;

said latch having a portion on the inner side thereof movable into oneof the passages and another portion on the inner side of said latchspaced from the first named portion and movable into the other passage,said portions being arranged to enter the passages from the same sidesthereof;

and spring mean arranged between the body and the latch to urge thelatch inwardly of the passages.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein one of the portions ofthe latch movable into a passage comprises a tongue on the outer endthereof which is less in thickness than the other portion movable intothe other passage.

3. In a device of the class described,

a body having parallel longitudinal passages therethrough with a wallthereabout;

a pair of latches pivotally attached to the body;

means pivotally attaching the latches to opposite walls of the body;

each said latch having spaced portions on the inner sides thereof theportions on each latch being movable into separate passages at oppositesides of the passages;

and spring means arranged between the body and each of the latches tourge the latches inwardly of the passages.

4. The combination called for in claim 3 wherein the outer end of eachlatch is provided with a tongue less in thickness than the body of thelatch,

which tongue comprises one of the portions movable into one of thepassages.

5. In a device of the class described,

a body having parallel longitudinal passages therethrough;

an elongated lateral slot through the wall of the body communicatingwith both of the passages at one side of the body;

a latch member pivotally attached in the elongated slot;

a latch tongue on the latch member movable into one of the passages;

a cam extension on the latch member on the same side thereof as thelatch tongue movable into the other said passage;

and a spring engaged at its outer end with the body and having its innerend engaged with the latch member, said spring being arranged to urgethe latch tongue and cam extension into the bores of the respectivepassages.

6. The combination called for in claim 5 wherein the latch member ispivoted at one end,

the spring is abutted against a spring stop secured at opposite ends tothe body and extending across the elongated slot,

and the inner end of the spring is disposed in a recess formed in theouter surface of the latch member.

7. In a device of the class described a body having parallellongitudinal passages therethrough;

a pair of oppositely disposed elongated lateral slots provided throughthe wall of the body communicating with the longitudinal passagesthrough the body;

a latch pivotally attached in each such elongated slot,

each said latch having a tongue on the one end thereof movable into oneof the longitudinal passages through the body,

and a cam extension thereon movable into the other longitudinal passagethrough the body;

and spring means engaged between the body and each of said latchesarranged to urge the tongues and cam extensions inwardly of the passagesthrough the body.

8. The combination called for in claim 7 wherein the tongue on each suchlatch is less in thickness than the cam extension.

9. In a device of the class described a body having parallellongitudinal passages therethrough;

a latch member pivotally attached to the body and having an end portionmovable into one of the passages and an intermediate portion movableinto the other passage;

a tubular member extending through one of the passages and having anannular shoulder thereon in position so that the one end of the latchmember will engage the upper surface of the shoulder to prevent downwardmovement of the body with respect to the tubular member;

a tubular member insertable into the bore of the other passage,

having an enlarged diameter portion on the upper end thereof engageablewith the intermediate portion on r the latch member to push the end ofthe latch member out wardly out of engagement with the shoulder; andspring means arranged between the body and the latch member to urge thelatch member inwardly of the passages. 10. In a device of the classdescribed, a body having parallel longitudinal passages therethrough; Va pair of latch members pivotally attached to the body each latch havinga portion on the outer end thereof movable into one of the passages, andan intermediate portion movable into passage; spring means arrangedbetween the body and each of the latch members to urge the latch membersinwardly of the passages; a tubular member insertable into each of saidpassages, each tubular member having an enlarged diameter portionthereon arranged to contact the intermediate portions of the latchmembers to move same outwardly of the passages; and

an annular groove provided about the enlarged diameter portion of eachsuch tubular member, each groove being arranged to receive the endportion on each latch member, whereby when either of the tubular membersis removed from its respective passage the end portion on a latch memberwill en-, gage the groove in the other tubular member. 11. Thecombination called for in claim 10 wherein the end portion on each latchmember is less in thickness than the intermediate portion thereof. 12.The combination called for in claim 10 wherein each latch member isdisposed in an elongated lateral slot provided through the wall of thebody extending into the passages through the body; the latch members arepivotally mounted in the slots; a spring stop is secured to the outersurface of the body extending across each of the lateral passages;

the other and spring recesses are provided in the outer surface.

of the latches;

the said springs having one end positioned behind the spring stop andthe other end positioned in the recess.

References Cited bylthe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 219,375 9/1879Wichert 70-39 1,530,177 3/1925 Heyer 7039 2,999,544 9/1961 Conrad et al166-129 X 3,094,168 6/1963 Myers l66138 X CHARLES E. OCONNELL, PrimaryExaminer.

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A BODY HAVING A PARALLELLONGITUDINAL PASSAGES THERETHROUGH WITH A WALL THEREABOUT; A LATCH;MEANS PIVOTALLY ATTACHING THE LATCH TO THE WALL OF THE BODY; SAID LATCHHAVING A PORTION ON THE INNER SIDE THEREOF MOVABLE INTO ONE OF THEPASSAGES AND ANOTHER PORTION ON THE INNER SIDE OF SAID LATCH SPACED FROMTHE FIRST NAMED PROTION AND MOVABLE INTO THE OTHER PASSAGE, SAIDPORTIONS BEING ARRANGED TO ENTER THE PASSAGES FROM THE SAME SIDESTHEREOF; AND SPRING MEANS ARRANGED BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE LATCH TOURGE THE LATCH INWARDLY OF THE PASSAGES.